1. You are a nurse manager in a busy surgical ward. You

notice that two of your staff members, Anna and Ben, have

been arguing frequently over their work assignments and

patient care. You decide to intervene and resolve the

conflict. What is the first step you should take?

a) Ignore the conflict and hope it will go away on its own.

b) Tell Anna and Ben to stop arguing and focus on their

work.

c) Arrange a meeting with Anna and Ben to discuss the

issue and listen to their perspectives.*

d) Ask another staff member to mediate the conflict

between Anna and Ben.

Rationale: The first step in conflict resolution is to identify

the problem and the parties involved. Ignoring the conflict

or telling the staff members to stop arguing will not address

the root cause of the conflict and may escalate it further.

Asking another staff member to mediate may not be

appropriate if you are the nurse manager and have the

authority and responsibility to handle the situation.

Arranging a meeting with Anna and Ben will allow you to

hear both sides of the story and understand their needs and

interests.

2. During the meeting with Anna and Ben, you find out that

they have different opinions on how to prioritize their tasks

and allocate their resources. Anna prefers to follow a strict

schedule and complete all the documentation before

attending to the patients, while Ben likes to be flexible and

respond to the patients' needs as they arise. How can you

help them reach a mutually acceptable solution?

a) Impose your own preferred method of working on them

and expect them to comply.

b) Ask them to compromise and adopt a middle-ground

approach that combines both of their preferences.

c) Encourage them to collaborate and explore creative ways

to meet both of their needs and goals.*

d) Allow them to continue working in their own ways as

long as they do not interfere with each other.

Rationale: The best way to resolve a conflict is to find a

win-win solution that satisfies both parties' needs and

goals. Imposing your own method of working on them will

not address their underlying concerns and may cause

resentment and resistance. Asking them to compromise

may result in a lose-lose situation where both parties have

to give up something they value. Allowing them to work in

their own ways may not resolve the conflict and may create

inconsistency and confusion in patient care. Encouraging

them to collaborate will help them identify their common

interests and generate alternative solutions that benefit both

of them.

3. After resolving the conflict between Anna and Ben, you

want to prevent similar conflicts from occurring in the

future. What can you do as a nurse manager to foster a

positive and constructive work environment?

a) Establish clear expectations and guidelines for staff

performance and behavior.

b) Provide regular feedback and recognition for staff